Easter Bunny crafts, edible Easter bunny recipes: homemade rabbit-themed treats

Spring is in the air! Time for Easter baskets, candy, baby animals and best of all, the Easter bunny! Did I mention Easter bunnies? If you're looking for cute edible Easter Bunny recipes and rabbit crafts to make? Here are three easy, edible, eco-friendly and uber-cute Easter Bunny crafts for ages 2 to 102 

Edi-bun-ables What's more fun than cute Easter Bunny crafts? Cute, edible Easter bunnies, that's what! Here are Easter Bunny recipes and homemade rabbit crafts you can eat! You'll need:--Hostess Twinkies or Sno Balls (coconut covered marshmallow cakes) or Dolly Madison Zingers or unfrosted cupcakes (one for each of the rabbit crafts)--Handi-Snacks Oreos Dunk'Ems (one pack for each of the Easter Bunny recipes) or oval cookies (Nutter Butter Peanut Butter sandwich cookies). ladyfingers, graham cracker sticks, or pretzels. You'll need white frosting too.--pink frosting--red jellybeans--coconut--square gum pellets like Chiklets.--miniature marshmallows To make Easter Bunny recipes open Handi-Snacks and use cookies to frost cupcake or Twinkie. Or use knife and plain frosting. If using pre-frosted Zingers or Sno Balls for Easter bunny recipes, skip to step three. Sprinkle frosted cake immediately with shredded coconut. Spread pink frosting on cookies or crackers for ears. If using pretzels, dip in pink frosting. Insert cookie "ears" in cake. Insert two jellybeans for eyes. Insert two gum pellets for teeth. Attach marshmallows with frosting for tail. 

Funny Bunny Clip Here are Easter Bunny crafts that put the "fun" in functional. These rabbits crafts make great gifts, too. too. For each of the Easter bunnies, you'll need: spring-loaded clothespins, small white pom-poms or cotton balls, tiny pink pom-poms, googly-eyes, three pipe cleaners and hot glue (or Tacky Glue) Glue three pink pom-poms to front of both pinchable "handles" of clothespin. Cover the remainder of both handles with white pom-poms or cotton balls. These are the ears. Glue two eyes to front above spring. Twist three pipe cleaners around center of clothespin. Leave equal amounts on both sides for whiskers. Glue pink pom-pom under eyes for nose. Voila, wearable rabbit crafts! "Fuzzy" 

Easter Bunny Mask or Easter bunnies greeting card Here are Easter Bunny crafts from the recycle bin You'll need: cereal boxes, square 1-inch white tissue paper scraps, red crayon or marker, rubber bands or string, scissors, pencils and glue. For Easter Bunny crafts, draw a rabbit face pattern: circle head, two protruding ovals for ears, two eye holes, mouth. Cut cereal box apart and trace bunny face on plain inside. Cut out bunny face. Color ear centers red. Fold tissue paper squares around pencil end, dip in glue. Affix to bunny face and around pink part on ears. This makes 3D "fuzzy" rabbit crafts. Glue two white paper squares for bunny buck teeth. Poke holes on side and tie string or rubber band on to hold mask in place. Or attach pencils or dowels for hand-held mask. Or attach to greeting card for pop-up Easter bunnies! 

Pizza recipes to teach math lessons teach geometry, fractions, decimals, percents for Pi Day

March 14 is Pi Day. It's not a spelling error for pie day. Pi is a Greek term denoting the mathematical portion 3.14 (or 22/7 in fraction form) used in geometry. That's why it's celebrated on 3/14. And Pi Day 2015 has math nerds especially geeked because it's pi to the 4th place value: 3.1415, reported WBEZ on March 13. Pi Day celebrates geometry and math. Take a bite out of math anxiety with these hands-on pizza "pie" math lessons for Pi Day. 

Teach shapes, numbers and colors with pizza. Cut differently-shaped and colored pizza toppings: mushrooms (white or brown discs or cylinders), onions (white cubes), sausage (brown spheres) pepperoni (red circles), colored peppers (cut in triangles) pineapple (yellow rectangles), cheese (cut as trapezoid, rhombus). Describe and discuss topping colors and shapes. Give each student a plate of pizza toppings and a small crust (or tortilla shell). Teach with food. Tell students to put five circles, two red things, three green rectangles, etc., on their pizza.

Teach sorting and classifying with pizza: Have students sort pizza toppings into categories. Tell them to place things that are orange in a pile. Sort by food group: dairy, vegetables and meat. Make a graph or pie chart of food groups

Teach adding and subtracting with pizza. Tell kids to put two of a certain topping on their pizza. Then add three more and count total. Begin with larger amounts and take away. Count to see how many are left. Teach skip counting adding by 2s, 3s, 5s and so on.

Teach fractions with pizza. Show students how to divide pizza in halves, thirds, quarters, eighths, etc. Demonstrate how two sixths equals one third, four eighths equals one half. Demonstrate how to reduce, find common denominators, add and subtract unlike fractions using pie shapes. Have each student divide his pizza into a different number of parts. Use clean string or yarn to temporarily section off pizza, so students can reuse. Or use a classroom set of pre-divided pizzas to demonstrate.

Teach multiplication and division with pizza. Divide pizzas into temporary sections or fractions as you did above. Pass out toppings. Show students how to count out one per topping per section until all are used. For example, divide pizza into eight sections and pass out 64 pepperoni pieces. For multiplication, do it the other way. Put equal number of toppings on each pizza section and count how many in all. Teach remainders by giving out uneven number of toppings and having kids divide.

Teach decimals with pizza. Explain that decimals are just fractions with base-ten denominators. The number of place values after the decimal point determines the denominator: one is tenths, two is hundredths, three is thousandths and so on. For this lesson, divide pizza into tenths. Teach basic fraction and decimal equivalencies.

Teach percent with pizzas. Demonstrate pizza as a pie graph. A whole pizza is 100 percent and any portion of it is a percent of 100. Half equals 50 percent; one quarter equals 25 percent and so on. Teach the relationship between fractions, decimals and percent (percents are fractions with denominators of 100. Decimals are percents without the decimal point: 37 percent is .37 or 37/100).

Teach ratios and proportions with pizza. Show students that proportions are actually fractions: A proportion of 3 to 10 is three parts out of ten parts total. Ratios are also comparisons. A classroom boy-girl ratio of 5:6 means five boys for every six girls. Use pizza toppings to teach proportions. Make pizzas with 3:10 pepperoni (three of every 10 toppings are pepperoni). For ratios, have students add a 2:3 ratio of green peppers to mushrooms.

When lessons are done let kids make pizzas to taste (removing what they don't like). Enjoy a Pi Day pizza party! Special education teachers make content approachable by teaching interactive, multisensory (smell, touch, taste) lessons. This is important for LD (learning disabled), ADHD (attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder) and CI (cognitively impaired) students. Indeed, hands-on lessons work better for all students. Activities with food are ideal. They're real-life, practical and fun! Plus, kids act up when they're hungry and behave better after they've eaten a healthy snack. Teaching with food makes content easier to visualize and improves receptivity to learning.

Fat burning oatmeal cleanse recipe, superfood antioxidants melt pounds

Was that New Year's resolution to lose weight? How's that going? Are you still following that diet or did your good intentions go out with the Christmas tree? What you need is a fresh start. Here's a yummy diet oatmeal cleanse recipe that features low calorie, lowfat, omega fatty acids, fat-burning foods, high protein, high fiber, superfood antioxidant goodness. Whew! One little meal sure accomplishes a lot! Purge those post-holiday pounds. I've lost over 100 pounds and I eat this daily. It's packed with protein to keep you going, plus it's super-fast to make in the microwave. Superfood Oatmeal Antioxidant Cleanse breakfast 1/4 cup oats (steel cut are supposed to be better for you, but they're twice the calories. You decide if it's worth it). 70 calories 1 teas. chia seeds (20 calories) 1 half small apple diced, cored unpeeled apple (25 calories) 1 tbsp. milled flax seed (35 calories) 1 teas. maca powder (10 calories) 1 tbsp. crushed almonds. (30 calories) 1/2 teas. coconut oil (20 calories) 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk. (10 calories) Splenda or Skinny Girl monkfruit sweetener (0 calories) 1/2 cup blueberries (35 calories) 1/4 cup. plain nonfat Greek yogurt (40 calories) kale (optional) 1/4 California avocado (optional, 80 calories) Cook oats and apple in water in the microwave. Sprinkle on other ingredients. Top oatmeal with blended blueberries and yogurt (add kale and avocado if you can stand it). Eat half a grapefruit 10 minutes before consuming (this cleanses impurities from your system and helps food digest better). Drink water with a lemon wedge with your breakfast. Grand total calories are 335 (more with avocado). For that, you get lots of protein, vitamins, fat burners, fiber, MUFAs (mono-unsaturated fatty acids aka linolenic acids: ALA, GLA, CLA). There are no transfats, refined or bleached flours or sugar. Warning, it is a cleanse. It will purge. You'll be going to the bathroom a few hours later, and you feel be a bit gassy as it flushes the yuck out. But this oatmeal recipe will fill you up and melt those pounds if you follow a healthy meal plan. If you want to follow my weight loss story, here's My Diet Digest blog and there are more diet recipes at Great Food 4U

Christmas wreath cookie recipes with Bible and Catholic Advent object lessons

Advent was our favorite season when we homeschooled our children. We did holiday math, Catholic Advent writing, Bible reading, Christmas around the world social studies, winter science. Everything about Christmas is a teachable moment. Here are Christmas cookie recipes with Catholic Advent object lessons. Our family is nearing three decades making these holiday treats and our married daughter carries on the traditions with her family. Here's our wreath cookie recipes. 

Wreath Cookies: The hanging of an evergreen wreath is an ancient tradition, used in many cultures to symbolize eternity. The wreath was hung to ward off evil and death. That is why we often see wreaths at funerals, also. The early Christians incorporated pagan Solstice and Saturnalia evergreens into their celebration of Christmas. Catholics use the holly thorns to represent the thorns that crowned our Lord Jesus. The red berries call to mind His shed blood. The circle represents God's endless love. When we make wreath cookies or see a wreath, we remember and give thanks for Love. 

To make wreath cookies, you need: one stick butter or margarine two 10 ounce bags marshmallows 1 teaspoon vanilla green food coloring 1 18-ounce box Corn Flakes mini red M&Ms, cinnamon red hots or decorator frosting chocolate chips Melt butter and marshmallows, stirring constantly. Blend in vanilla and food coloring to achieve desired shade of green. Allow to cool slightly. Turn into a large bowl and blend with Corn Flakes until thoroughly coated. While cereal mixture is still warm, form into rings about two inches in diameter. Add mini M&Ms for berries; press into cereal. Optional: decorate with frosting "berries." Use chocolate chips for thorns. 

 

Our family's pickle soup, slaw and kebab recipes for National Pickle Day

Finding yourself in a pickle? Then celebrate because November 14 is your holiday! It's National Pickle Day. Just about any vegetable or fruit can be pickled (soaked in vinegar and salt brine). The most popular are pickled gherkins--cucumbers. Cucumbers originated in India and migrated via traders to the Tigris Valley in 2030 B.C., reports the NY Food Museum. From there, pickles enjoyed an illustrious career in healing, cosmetics and best of all, eating! Just in time for holiday munching, here are pickle recipes.  

Emma Grace's Dickle Pill Soup. After enjoying dill pickle soup at various Hamtramck, Michigan Polish restaurants, our youngest daughter decided to create her own variation. Inadvertently transposing the initial consonants, it became her trademark Dickle Pill soup. And it's to die for. Chop a small jar's worth of regular or kosher dill pickles. Milwaukee Midget dills are the chef's preference. But you can use Claussen refrigerated pickles if you prefer. Or try spicy Mt. Olive dills for a Cajun twist. Chop medium onion. Sauté onion in two sticks melted butter or margarine. When onions are tender, add pickles, a little minced garlic, freshly cracked black pepper and dill weed. Add 2-3 tablespoons flour to thicken butter mixture. Add one cup milk, juice from pickles and 2-3 cups chicken broth or water. Simmer till blended. Serve with pierogies and galumpkis. 

Deutsch Kraut-Pickle Slaw. Grate two carrots. Chop one quarter each red and green cabbage, two celery ribs and one small onion. Core, seed and chop one each green, yellow, orange and red pepper. Slice one hothouse cucumber or two regular cukes. Blend one and a half cup acai or pomegranate vinegar, half cup olive or safflower oil, and one cup apple cider and two tablespoons horseradish. Season with celery seed, caraway seed, freshly cracked pepper, dill weed, Marinate and chill overnight in fridge. You can swap sauerkraut for cabbage if desired, but reduce vinegar. 

Omi's Pickled Turnips. Super easy, super delish. I got my recipe essentially from the Jerusalem Cookbook with tweaks from some Lebanese friends in Dearborn. Pare and slice in large matchsticks, two large turnips and one beet. (Or as many as you want, just using that ratio). Heavily salt with Himalayan pink salt and place in cool area to dehydrate for a few days. Kids will love seeing how the veggies dejuice. Now, after this, some people dispose of the salt water and move on to the next stop. I do not. I just leave it. So next add a few ribs' worth of celery sticks and one sliced jalapeno (wear gloves!) Next, add in vinegar to cover the vegetables and watch the magic happen. Your white turnips will begin to turn a gorgeous shade of puce. And beets will stay their pretty purple selves. You can toss out the celery and pepper pieces or eat them as you wish. Serve with homemade hummus and toum garlic paste. 

Daddy's Famous Pickle Kebabs. Unlike my traditional Jerusalem pickled turnips, these are not traditional kebab in any way except the toothpick skewer and would have the good folk of the Levant shuddering in horror. But anyway, here's dad's recipe. Skewer on a toothpick one cheese cube, one hot dog "penny" and one pickle slice. So they're not so healthy? Don't judge. These appetizers are crazy popular with preschoolers because children can assemble themselves. They are a father-friendly quickie snack. Mind children don't eat the toothpicks. If a less salty snack is desired, sub a grape or watermelon wedge for the hot dog. Though the chef insists that this is integral. 

Tschus!

Nacho Daddy's Nachos: Good-for-you nachos and diet-friendly dips 'n chips

Not gonna lie, I love nachos. And they also love me, on my belly, hips and thighs. So how about diet-friendly good-for-you nachos that won't pack on the pounds? Just in time for tailgating and summer picnics which are right around the corner. But will these supposedly weight loss friendly nachos taste good? Isn't the point of junk food to be full of junk? In their common incarnation, they are. Nachos are basically tortilla chips smothered in some mélange of fatty, salty, intensely caloric, MSG-soaked fake-cheese dip or topping with about a million calories per serving. But if you're calorie restricting, you can still enjoy them. Just make nachos healthier and diet-friendly, like this.

Nacho Daddy's Nachos start with a better chip. Skip the high carbohydrate corn tortilla chips with high-glycemic (sugary) and starchy. Forego wheat-based tortillas. Don't be fooled by "veggie" or "healthy" chips. Read the labels and do the nutrition math. Look for multi-grain, nut, flax or quinoa chips.

Make kale or collard chips. Trim stems from kale and collard leaves. Spritz with non-fat cooking spray

or olive oil. Season with cracked pepper, and crushed rosemary, oregano, sage and basil. Bake at

400 degrees till crisp--about 15 minutes. Season with a little sea salt or substitute Bragg's Liquid

Amino (super healthy) for salt.

Freshen up your nachos. Nix bottled peppers. Use fresh jalapenos, chiles, serannos--protect your hands as you cut them. Make your own salsa, easy on the tomatoes to reduce sodium. Chop mirepoix--colored

peppers (green, red, yellow, orange, purple), sweet onions or scallions, celery and carrots. Add

chopped zucchini and season lemon juice, cumin, garlic, cilantro and chili pepper or Hungarian

paprika to taste. Load up on fresh veggies and lettuces.

Enjoy your guacamole. Seriously, it's really great for weight loss with all that avocado MUFA goodness.  But make it fresh by mashing avocado or better yet, Slimcado, diced red onions, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, lime juice and a little celery salt. I dash a bit of smoked paprika on top. 

Diet food swaps for dips. Lighten up on sour cream. Switch to non-fat Greek yogurt. Mash avocado, yogurt and salsa you made above for a super-duper-good-for-you guacamole. 

Diet cheese food swaps for nachos. Change up your cheese. Use lowfat cheese: Neufchatel, Parmesan-Asiago blend, Mozzarella, light Gorgonzola, Limburger, bleu cheese, goat cheese and feta (sharp cheese give dips a nice bite). Use Laughing Cow light cheese wedges. 

Diet food swaps for dips. Use olive oil or avocado mayonnaise (Hellman's makes a 45

calorie per serving kind). 

Meat food swaps for nachos. Swap burger or pork for chicken breast, tempeh, miso, hulled edamame, adzuki beans, turtle (black) beans, garbanzo beans, yams or squash.

Fish nachos, anyone? Seriously, fish tacos are crazy-popular, why not fish nachos? Best fish are

denser-bodied: cod, whitefish, marlin, swordfish. You could use shrimp or scallops. Or, for Cajun

nachos, try oyster, crawfish or catfish. 

Part of how I lost 100 pounds was by eating healthier diet food swaps. 

Pumpkin Spice Recipes and Pumpkin Themed Kids Lunches, Treats, Snacks

Boy, pumpkin and pumpkin spice sure is a shtick for fall foods--everything from IHOP pancakes to coffee creamer, Oreos to beer. So I thought, why not tap into that beta-carotene goodness for my +Week-of-school-snacks and +Five-day-school-lunch-menu series? Here are healthy kids lunch and snack recipes featuring pumpkin. But no pumpkin beer, promise :)

Use fresh pumpkin (be sure to get pie pumpkin, not a jack-o-lantern) or take my lazy way out and use canned--not pie filling. Or substitute yams, sweet potatoes or squash. Involve toddlers and preschooler in preparations.   You can vegan-ize any of these recipes that call for dairy and eggs but swapping tofu, TVP or almond milk. These recipes are kosher, halal and diet-friendly, too! Click to read more. 

Pumpkin Soup/Pasta Sauce: Perfect power packed nutrition for chilly fall days. In a large, deep skillet melt two sticks of butter or ghee (olive oil if you are a vegan). saute one medium chopped onion, one small stalk of cleaned, pared and sliced celery, five chopped sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon of ground sage) and one half teaspoon cracked pepper. Pour contents of saute pan in soup pot. Add one 29 oz. can of pumpkin and a carton of Progresso chicken broth (vegans and vegetarians, replace chicken broth with vegetable broth). Fill the pumpkin can with milk (vegans, use water) and add that to the pot. Simmer until blended and heated through. Just before serving, add chopped cucumbers and butter croutons. Send a jar to an elderly neighbor, a family with a new baby or a sick friend.

Pumpkin Upside-Down Custard: In a large bowl, blend 1 29oz. can of pumpkin, one teaspoon of cinnamon, one half teaspoon of nutmeg and ginger, one quarter teaspoon of cloves, one teaspoon of salt, four large eggs, one cup of packed brown sugar, one tablespoon of flour Refill pumpkin can with milk and add to ingredients. Blend until smooth and fold in one cup of peeled, chopped apples (optional). Placed in 9x13 glass baking dish coated with non-stick pan spray. Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes until set. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

 

For topping: blend 1 cup finely chopped pecans with 1 stick melted butter and one quarter cup brown sugar. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle over surface and bake for five to ten minutes to set. Vegans can replace eggs and milk with two packages of silken soft tofu also.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Custard:</b></i> Using the same ingredients as above, cut milk down to 10 oz and add two 8 oz packages of softened cream cheese. You will need to use blender or electric mixer to blend. Using two cartons of whipped cream cheese will be easier to blend also.